


Sir Kylo of Ren and the Dragon of Plagueis

by kyoloren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Animal companions (that don't speak they're just good animals), Bisexual Ben Solo, Canonical Age Difference, Dragons, F/M, Fantasy Violence, Girl dressing up as a man to make it in the world, I humanized the droids, I know the bare minimum about this time period so there will probably be historical inaccuracies, Knight!Ben, Kylo thinks Rayner is 17 but Rey is actually 20, Magic, Okay so there is a fake underaged thing going on here, Quests, SPOILERS/ CONTENT WARNING INFO:, Squire!Rey, The Force, There is no actual underaged anything in this fic and there is an explanation in my notes, This is a super gentle story just read it and you'll understand I'm sure, Visions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23672473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyoloren/pseuds/kyoloren
Summary: Famed Knight of the kingdom of Ren, Kylo gets a new squire, Rey in the guise of a young boy named Rayner, and takes her on an impossible quest to fight an ancient evil dragon whose dark magic is cursing the land.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 28
Kudos: 62





	Sir Kylo of Ren and the Dragon of Plagueis

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This has been in the works for a little while. I have it all planned out, and I hope you'll enjoy going on this ride with me. This is going to try to be an epic tale, something sweeping and majestic, but we'll see how well we do.
> 
> This is very much an introductory chapter, things will really get going in the next part.
> 
> Also just wanted to expand on the whole "fake underaged" warning thing a bit more from my tags: it is as I said, where Rayner is "17" but Rey is 20 and is of sound mind and body of anything that happens, but Kylo _is 30_ and only knows her as Rayner so there's...idk some stuff that people may not like. Either way, barely anything sexual at all happens in this fic beyond a bit of flirtation. I just wanted to make it clear that there's no actual underaged stuff because I know that's a trigger for a lot of people.
> 
> Lastly, a huge thanks to Sinéad/loonyloopyIupin on twitter for beta'ing this for me! Without their help I probably wouldn't have felt so proud of this first part!

**PART ONE**

The first time Rey saw Sir Kylo of Ren, it was straight from battle. The streets of Alderaan, the capital of the kingdom of Ren, were full of citizens. Flowers littered the streets, tossed into the air and trampled underfoot. Handkerchiefs and ribbons waved in hands and on the ends of sticks. The entire city was celebrating the successful victory over the trolls from the snowy northern mountains, who had begun to encroach on valuable farmland.

The captain of the vanguard was not at the front of the procession, but rather in the middle of all of the knights. He was difficult to miss, however, with his towering black warhorse and the sun catching on his armor. The armor, upon closer inspection, was dented and bloody and mud smeared--the remnants of the battle. His helmet was gone, lost in the muddy, cold northern fields, leaving his long, page face bare, his hair dark and tugged by the light breeze.

Rey was not one of the many women in lovely gowns yelling their love and devotion to the many brave knights. She caught a glimpse of Sir Kylo from the edge of the crowd before she was grabbed by the elbow and yanked through sour smelling alleys.

“You better not cause any trouble,” Zool Zendait said, continuing to drag her along with him. She half-jogged to keep up.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Rey replied as they raced to beat the slow procession. Zool Zendait was not nearly as bad a man as the one she had run away from, two years ago. Unkar Plutt of the southern desert lands of Jakku had been mean and abusive and she spent her entire life under his thumb, barely eating, working for scraps. Zool Zendait may have been a swindler, but at least he had been trying to help her. More likely he just wanted her out of his employment and onto the next person, but Rey would take anything at this point if it was a job.

Her last knight was killed months ago and she had been scrounging for more work ever since. This was her chance. Maybe her _last_ chance.

“He’s very difficult,” Zool continued as Rey sidestepped puddles. They started to walk into parts of the city that were wealthier. She could tell by the amount of space between the houses growing, the way that the houses were more sturdy and larger in general, showing off the owners’ status. “I’ve been told he goes through squires like a drunkard goes through pints.”

Rey made a face. “Why?”

“No idea. High standards, most likely.” Zool pulled her down a nearly deserted street. They reached the richest part of Alderaan in a dozen more yards and Rey had to keep herself from staring slack-jawed at the change. Gone were the houses piled on top of one another, the smells of butchers and blacksmiths and leather workers, replaced by lovely houses with architecture made to be pleasing to the eye, and the air smelled sweet from flowers in bloom.

“He lives here?” Rey nearly stammered, suddenly not so sure of her new vocation. Two years of being Rayner, the quiet but dependable squire, had not prepared her for this. The past four knights she had worked with were fine men, but they lived in the lower part of the city, nowhere near here.

“He lives _here_ ,” Zool emphasized, stopping in front of a large estate. There were gardens and trees heavy with fruit blocking the two story home behind. Rey had never seen anything so clean and well-kept in her entire life. 

Zool finally let go of Rey’s arm and she shook the blood back into it. “Try not to mess this up,” he told her. “You know where to find me if you do, but _don’t_.” It was not so much a demand as a plea. Rey would admit that she had a tendency to find trouble without looking for it.

“You’re just leaving me here?” she asked as he began to walk away, tugging down his crisp green coat.

“Someone should be here for you. Walk around the back,” he called over his shoulder before he whistled his way down the cobblestoned street.

Rey stood there, gaping at his back before she turned to face the house. It was reasonably quiet here; too quiet. No one was hanging out windows to yell across the dirt-packed streets at their neighbors, there were no children running around barely clothed, screaming and laughing, no stray dogs barking or cats protecting garbage piles.

She had half a mind to turn around and leave, but then she thought about Jakku, and how easily she could end up back there if this went badly. No, she had to keep up appearances, this new life that she’d chosen, she _must_ do this.

Per Zool’s instructions, she stayed to the crushed stone pathways and made her way around the house. It loomed above her with powerful glass windows and heavy stone walls that looked like they could withstand a siege. Her soft leather boots crunched over soft stones and she soon heard voices. There were two, and they were bickering. 

She slipped between a tall, sturdy tree and the stone of the house to find herself in a proper courtyard. There were two men standing there. One was tall and thin, with golden hair and a matching golden jacket over a cream tunic and leggings. The other was shorter and portly, with an impressive mustache and a bright blue jacket with silver buttons that shone in the sun. 

“Oh, oh!” the taller one said when he set his eyes upon her. “You must be…be…Raymond?”

“Raybourne,” the shorter man offered.

“Rayner,” Rey corrected, giving them the name she’d been using for two years, ever since she cut her hair to her chin and started dressing in trousers.

“Rayner, goodness.” The tall one eyed her up and down. She hoped she looked as convincing now as she did two years ago. She purposely tended to get her face dirty or sooty to hide her soft features. Under her tunic and vest, she wrapped her chest, though it was small enough to not cause too many problems. Still, she couldn’t keep it up forever. It wasn’t like she could magically start growing facial hair. “My name is Theodore, and this is Arthur. I wish we had more time with you before Master Kylo returns...”

Theodore and Arthur began to usher her around the courtyard, pointing out the large wooden doors that were the entrance into the home, and around and across the courtyard, where there was a private stable. Two soft grey mares were there already, and they neighed softly at the trio’s approach. Arthur withdrew an apple from beneath his coat and fed it to one of them.

“Squires have a small residence just beside the stable. It is clean and warm.” Theodore pushed open the door to show her.

It was a small room with a straw mattress, a basin and chamberpot, and it was more than Rey had ever had before. Normally she made do with sleeping with the horses. Literally. “It’s very generous,” she replied.

“Yes, yes it is.” They returned to the courtyard. “Master Kylo is a Lord as you know—”

She did not know, and tried not to swallow her tongue from the shock. She should have known, of course, considering the size and shape of his estate. This was already getting more intense than she’d expected. She was suddenly extremely grateful to have her own room. If all she was needed for was to take care of his horse and armor, she may never have to step foot in that enormous house. The thought terrified her.

Theodore continued, “But do not address him as Lord. He…dislikes it. He shall be addressed as Sir Kylo or sire, understand?”

Rey nodded.

“Or just Sir works fine, lad,” Arthur said, giving Rey a small smile that told her he understood how overwhelming it must be for her.

“Do as he says and don’t ask questions.”

Arthur chuckled. “He is a little bit eccentric.” 

Rey frowned. She didn’t know what the word meant, but the way that the portly man spoke it made her think it wasn’t exactly a positive thing.

“Don’t ask what happened to the last squire,” Theodore continued. Rey, of course, immediately wanted to ask. “And never go into the house except into the armory where you’ll be meeting Master Kylo today.”

Infinitely happy that she didn’t ever have to go into the house, she tilted her head toward the high tower situated on this back corner. “Does he have a wife? Sir Kylo?” She shielded her eyes from the sun, trying to see a spark of life inside.

“No, Master Kylo has no wife,” Theodore said, with a little sad sigh.

“Neither does he tend to visit the pleasure houses,” Arthur said bluntly.

The laugh that escaped Rey’s mouth was half horror, half surprise. Theodore blubbered a response and Arthur chortled, giving Rey a wink. Rey immediately felt that she liked these two men. They were very unlike the sort she usually had to consort with, and she was somewhat sad knowing that they were household staff and her interactions with them would be limited.

Before much else could be said, the sound of approaching hoofbeats set Theodore and Arthur into motion. Rey blended into the background, standing by the smaller wooden door behind which she’d been told stood the knight’s armory. Because he was rich enough to have _his_ _own_ armory. Most knights were lucky to have a dagger and a sword on top of their armor, but this Sir Kylo had an entire room.

The man himself arrived like a storm. The black warhorse was even larger than Rey expected, a beautiful beast breathing heavily through wide nostrils, probably desperate for a drink, a meal, and to not have three hundred pounds on its back.

“Master Kylo,” Theodore said as the horse came to a stop in the middle of the stone courtyard. “Congratulations on yet another successful battle.”

Sir Kylo’s response was to grunt noncommittally and get down from his horse. Rey hesitated forward, unsure of whether she should take the horse first or follow the man. He walked around the front of the animal, pausing to rub the soft suede nose and rest his forehead against the sturdy beast before Arthur took the reins.

Theodore caught Rey’s eye and cleared his throat. Follow the knight it was.

“Sire,” Theodore said as Kylo stepped toward the armory door. _Good lord, he is a big man_ , Rey thought as she came up to his sword side. “This is your new squire. Rayner.”

She reminded herself not to smile. “Hello, sire,” she said instead, keeping her voice pitched low.

Kylo turned and looked down his nose at her. She saw, up close now, that he had a scar across his face, from above his eye, across his cheek and it disappeared beneath his collar. “Where did you come from?” he asked and his voice wasn’t what she expected either. It sounded thin and tired, but perhaps that had more to do with battle fatigue than anything.

“Zool Zendait sent me, Sir.”

He stared at her a little too long. She tried not to squirm. Kylo swung his head to Theodore, who simply raised his shoulders in a small shrug.

“Fine,” the knight said, sweeping forward toward the armory. Rey followed obediently, trying not to gasp as she stepped into the room. It was larger than one would imagine, with much open space in the middle. Across the wooden floor there were multiple stands of armor: one empty for the heavy armor he was currently wearing, one with lighter armor, another one, more of a hanger than a stand, that carried expensive leathers. There were numerous gloves, extra chainmail, and helmets among the contents of the room.

The most startling, of course, was the weaponry. There were staffs, spears, daggers, long swords, short swords, halberts, and she even spied a heavy mace with a studded ball.

“How long have you been doing this?” the knight asked, calling her attention to him. He had started unlooping his belt and she went to his side to do _her job_. She couldn’t afford to be distracted there, no matter the fact that she’d never seen so many weapons in one place in her life, except, maybe, at the blacksmiths. 

“Two years,” she said, taking his hand and undoing the leather straps holding on his gauntlets halfway up his forearms. Heavy armor took an eon to remove, but her fingers were nimble and used to it. She moved quickly, keeping her eyes on the straps, working in reverse order from whoever put this on him. She wondered, if the previous squire had been lost in the troll battle, how had they known about it here in Alderaan so quickly? Magic messages perhaps? Or maybe he had gone without a squire and someone else had dressed him. It wasn’t unheard of.

In any case, some of the knots were tangled and she focused on loosening them, aware that he was watching her but hoping he wasn’t looking too close. There would never be a good time to get found out as a woman pretending to be a man, but the first day on the job with a _Lord_ would be the worst.

“Just two? How old are you?”

Rey scrunched up her nose at a particularly horrendous tie under his arm. So much for being quiet, though Theodore had told _her_ not to ask any questions, but he didn’t say that Kylo couldn’t. As per his question, there were many ways she could answer. He didn’t know her, so she could lean into the lie more, make herself younger. But for the very fact that she had to keep her own life straight, she decided to go with _Rayner_ ’s staple timeline. “Seventeen, Sir,” she said, which was three years shy of her actual age. Luckily, she was tall for a woman, so she could pass as a young man for a little while longer.

She got the last stubborn knot and was able to pull the dented breast plate off. It was heavy, but she was strong and managed to get it to the floor without denting it, or the floor, even more.

“And you want to become a knight?”

She swiped her wrist across her forehead. “Yes,” she replied simply, kneeling behind him to undo the straps around his legs. Why anyone would put themselves through all the work of being a squire and _not_ want to become a knight was beyond her. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to, since she was a woman, but it wasn’t going to stop her. In the kingdom of Ren, there was an unspoken law about who could fight and who couldn’t. Only the smallest portion of women were allowed onto battlefields and they all had special circumstances.

Rey didn’t have the luxury of thinking that far ahead. She was just trying to survive and to learn how to fight and this was her best option.

“Good,” Kylo said, which surprised her.

She was glad he couldn't see her face and stayed silent. If he wanted to continue, he would. He didn’t, but at least _she_ hadn’t said something to upset him.

Eventually, he was free of the scale-like plates and she helped him off with the overly large chainmail shirt. She couldn’t help but think of his poor horse and how much more sense it made for him to have such a massive breed rather than a quicker, lighter horse. The animal wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Once he was free from all his armor, he was in a tunic, trousers and boots. Rey looked at the armor laying around on the floor.

“Bring that to the blacksmiths. Theo or Arthur know which is under my employment,” the knight told her. “Clean it and get it fixed. And tend to Whisper.”

“Whisper, Sire?”

“My horse.”

She tried very hard not to smile at the thought of his horse being called _Whisper_. “Yes, Sir Kylo.”

He stood there, looking at her, eyes growing increasingly smaller.

“Is there something else?” she asked.

Kylo held out his hand. “My sword.”

_Oh!_ She turned around and took the scabbard in hand. It was a broadsword, large, like everything else about the Lord. She handed it over and he left the armory without a thank you. Once he was gone, she let out a breath and slumped back against a wooden shelf holding a helmet and an extra gauntlet.

_So far so good_ , she told herself before she went back out into the yard. Arthur was by the horses. He wasn’t a tall man, but he had somehow managed to get the saddle off Whisper and he hadn’t gotten a single drop of dirt on his precious blue jacket.

Rey allowed a small smile to appear on her face since no one but the horse could see. “I can continue from here,” she said. 

Arthur, sweat beading on his forehead, turned to her. “Oh good, good. I like my fair share of horses, but this one…” He laid a gloved hand on Whisper’s side.

“I was told that Sir Kylo uses a particular blacksmith. I need to clean his armor and take it to them once I’m done here.”

“Of course. Theodore can take you. He doesn’t get out of the house much.” With a chuckle, the man walked off back to the house with a few huffs and puffs.

Rey turned to the tethered warhorse and spoke in a soft voice, her natural voice. “Hello there,” she said, letting the horse sniff at her face and get accustomed to her smell before laying a small hand on the soft nose. “There. You’re probably very tired.” She walked away to find the supplies she’d been told about earlier. She spoke softly to the other two horses as she walked past them. They were calm and watched her with wide, intelligent eyes.

She spoke the whole time, asking questions that would never be answered about the most recent battle as she brushed down Whisper. The horse, she found out, was either very gentle or very tired, particularly liked being brushed around the chest, and was a female. Which shouldn’t have come to such a surprise, but she had a tendency of associating such a massive size with men.

Rey immediately took to the horse. She had always been good with animals, and Whisper was no exception. Once the brushing was done, she filled the feed in the stall and shut the horse in. The stable was larger than any she’d seen, and she was thankful for it. Shutting up such a large animal in a smaller space would have been cruel.

Smelling supremely of days old mud and sweaty horse, Rey followed her earlier instructions and estate tour and gathered water in buckets from the expensively-paid-for direct pipe-to-pump behind the armory. There was a bench back there too, where it looked like past squires had settled to do their work.

She took the armor outside and spent the rest of the afternoon scrubbing away blood and dirt, showing silver and brass underneath. She lost track of time and found herself squinting, stomach rumbling by the time Theodore came outside to find her. He held a bowl and a wooden drinking cup.

“Nearly done?” he asked, startling her out of her focus.

She looked up from one of the last pieces she had to clean. “Yes. Is that for me?” Her stomach made a sound like that of a monster and she reached for the bowl. He handed it over and didn’t seem to be able to look at her as she shoveled potatoes, carrots and chunks of meat into her mouth with her fingers.

“Ahem. If you finish by the morning, I will be going into town and we can bring the armor in to The Armorer.”

“The Armorer?” Rey repeated, mouth full.

“That’s what they call him. His name is probably John or something simple. It makes a statement, does it not?”

She shrugged a reply and tasted the liquid in the cup; it was a weak ale. She made a face but drank another sip. “What am I expected to do once all of this is finished?”

“Master Kylo is rarely idle. If he is home, you’re to take the horses out, clean the courtyard, take care of the stables, and run any errands that are requested of you.”

Rey nodded. “I can do that.”

Theodore looked as if he wanted to say something, perhaps about how he hoped that were true because he was sick of having to reteach new squires the exact desires of his particular Lord and Master. Instead, he said: “Be sure to wash and clean yourself every night and if you do go into town for an errand, you must wash up first. We have a reputation.” He held out his hands for her empty dishes.

Rey reminded herself of Arthur’s spotless jacket. “I can do that.” She didn’t _want_ to since staying a little dirty made her look less like a woman, but she’d find a way around it.

“Good. Goodnight, young Rayner.”

Rey echoed the farewell and then dragged all the armor back into the armory and laid it out over the floor in hopes that Sir Kylo wouldn’t decide to come in in the morning and trip over it. There were some pieces that weren’t in need of repair, but a lot of it was.

Thoroughly exhausted, she pulled a bucket over to her quarters and used it to wash up before collapsing into the straw mattress. It was the softest thing she’d ever slept on.

oOo

Rey had been in the employment of Sir Kylo of Ren for only three days when she was brazenly awoken by a hammering on the door of her small room.

“Young Rayner?”

Rey blinked into the darkness of the space before scrambling to find her quilted vest. She could feel that her chest bindings had slipped off her chest during sleep and the vest was deceptively bulky for a reason. She pulled it on and held the opening closed with her hand as she pulled up the handle. The door swung open to reveal Theodore standing there with a dim lantern.

“Did something happen?” she asked.

“No. I mean, yes.” The man had never looked so out of sorts. His hair was sticking up and he was wearing nothing but a loose sleeping gown. “Master Kylo has decided to go on a quest. You are to accompany him.”

Rey’s jaw dropped.

It wasn’t like she could say _no_.

According to Theodore, the knight had awoken two hours before dawn and woken up Theodore with frantic ramblings of visions and quests and forests. They had to leave _that day_.

Rey was immediately set to ready the horses, giving them feed and eating her own breakfast of a half loaf of soft fresh bread from Arthur’s own hand and a small wedge of cheese. By the time the sun had risen in the sky, the estate was wide awake. 

The two mares—who had no names according to Theodore and to which Rey instantly named Marigold and Pansy after the flowers—were set with saddles and bags.

“Are we taking Whisper as well?” Rey managed to catch Theodore as he, now fully dressed, rushed out of the house.

“What? Oh, yes. All three. You’ll ride one of the mares and the other will take most of the supplies. And here,” he shoved a list into Rey’s hands. “These are the few supplies we do not have. Go pick them up and return promptly.”

Rey looked at the paper. She’d taught herself to read the words that were common for a squire to need to know over the past two years so she could understand all of what was written there. “What about the armor? Are we taking the heavy armor?”

“No.” The voice was not Theodore’s. Both the squire and the gentleman turned to see Kylo standing in the entranceway, dressed in black trousers and shirt, the neck and cuff lacing undone, his hair flowing wonderfully around his face and shoulders. Rey had thought that the beard and mustache growing on his face had been because of his travels to the north, but he had yet to shave his face smooth since coming home. “Just the leather armor and mail. And Theo, pack me extra clothes and something for the squire.”

“Of course, Master Kylo,” Theodore said with an incline of his head. Kylo disappeared back into the dark foyer. It was the most she had seen of the Knight since their first meeting. “Now go. It won’t do well to keep him waiting.”

Rey nodded and, because she was farther from the market square then she used to be and because the horse was already sporting a saddle, Rey got onto Marigold and coaxed the horse into a light trot into town. Once at the market, she tied off the horse and took her list, ready to fill the satchel at her hip. There was food, mostly, and a couple other things, which she managed to get for a better price since she haggled. The gold, silver and copper given to her by Theodore was barely dented.

With the satchel filled, Rey turned to walk back to Marigold but hesitated, eyes dragged toward the apothecary. She had brought just one thing with her when she began living on Sir Kylo’s estate: a small bottle in a pouch she wrapped around her waist and hid under her vest. But it was getting low and she didn’t know how long they would be going on this quest. It could be weeks, months, years?

Looking as confident as she did with walking into the butchers and the bakers and the smithies (to check on the armor which was not yet finished), she stepped into the apothecary. Scents assaulted her nose, earthy and flowery. The woman behind the counter recognized her since she had been coming in since she moved to Alderaan. Luckily, she was recognized as Rayner, who worked in a household with a number of women.

It was a lie that she had to keep up.

“Back again?” the woman said, eyeing Rey.

“I suppose. My Lady wishes for her usual order,” Rey said. When she first came to this city, she had to figure out a way to stop her womanly cycle. It would do no one any good if they found her scrubbing blood out of cloth strips once a month. The concoction was mostly to stop one from becoming pregnant, but Rey found that it had stopped her monthly bleeding almost entirely. If she was going to be questing, away from the city, she would need it.

“Give me a few minutes,” the woman said cheerily, leaving Rey to stand in the empty shop. She had little idea about the properties of plants. In Jakku, there wasn’t much in the way of vegetation and it wasn’t as if she had a lot of free time to go exploring.

Once the woman had the herbs, she handed them over in a pouch. Rey thanked her and paid for it. She would have to find a way to brew a tea with the herbs and store it in the bottle at her side if she ran low while questing.

By the time she returned to the estate, the horses were out of the stables, looking packed. There were bedclothes and filled saddlebags on Pansy and Arthur came over immediately to put the remainder of things onto Marigold. Rey handed everything over to Theodore, who double checked the money and the supplies before instructing her toward the armory.

She took an extra minute to hide away the pouch of herbs before stepping inside. Sir Kylo was there, strapping his sword around his waist with the same sturdy belt he wore over his armor.

“Is there something you needed from me, sire?” she asked, boots creaking over the wooden floor.

“Those are for you.” He motioned toward high boots standing off to the side. She walked over and found them to have sturdy, thick bottoms unlike her current shoes.

“Thank you, Sir,” she said, and, because she knew time was of the essence, she unlaced her boots and put on the new ones. They were a little big, but she’d be able to stuff some grass into the toes once she had a minute. If she were to be riding the horse for the first bit of the trip she could do that before they started on foot.

“Do you have a weapon?”

“Not of my own.”

He grunted and tugged on his leather belt before turning his attention to the numerous weapons in the room. Someone, probably Theodore, had since dressed the knight properly so his sleeves no longer flew about his arms, and he had on a dark woolen vest. “Have you been trained?”

“I’ve had a few years of training,” she said, trying to remember to keep her voice low even through her excitement. “I’m fairly decent. For a squire,” she added.

He made another wordless noise before he turned around, holding out a short sword toward her. The hilt lay off his palm, the blade within a simple leather sheath. She blinked at the sword before realizing what she was being wordlessly instructed to do.

Setting her jaw, she pulled the sword free. It was extremely well made. The hilt was a bit long for her hand but that was to be expected. She stepped back and did a few practice flourishes. It was more sword than knife. She was thankful for that fact, since it would be better protection. She was, however, somewhat bewildered.

“Why would I need a sword?” she asked, speaking out loud before she realized. And with a question too. She froze, hilt in hand, waiting for some sort of punishment. Kylo said nothing. “What I meant to say was, are we not traveling with a band, sire?”

“No, we are not.” He handed her the sheath. “It will be just you and I.”

Rey was thankful he’d turned his back to her so he couldn’t see her eyes widen. She expected at least the house staff to attend as well. But _solely_ herself and the knight? Questing? When had her life gotten so turned upside down?

Gripping the blade through the sheath, she walked out of the armory, tongue begging to ask more questions. She was met by Theodore, who had a used but sturdy leather belt for her. Once her new sword was attached, there was hardly anything else she could do.

She was Sir Kylo’s squire and that meant going with him wherever he needed.

“Is everything prepared?” the knight asked.

Both Arthur and Theodore talked over each other in affirmation.

Pansy was tethered to Whisper by a long stretch of rope. Rey moved over toward Marigold, her new boots feeling strange underfoot over the expensive cobblestone. Kylo mounted Whisper and started on his way, leaving his squire to rush onto Marigold, lift a hand in goodbye to the house staff and follow after.

There were a million questions she wanted to ask. Where were they going? How did he know where the quest was? What _was_ the quest? Why now? Why wasn’t he fully prepared for a battle? How could he leave, since he was the captain of the vanguard?

But she bit her tongue and kept her eyes trained on his back, tall and straight on the back of Whisper as they quickly left the civilization of Alderaan and headed northwest.

While he couldn’t see her and Marigold could easily follow without her hands on the reins, Rey transferred her precious herbs to the pouch under her vest and checked the bottle of previously made tincture. She had to take a few drops, a single sip, every day and she would probably run out in a week. 

If she lived that long. Her trip from Jakku to Alderaan had been in the belly of a ship; she hadn’t seen anything for weeks before she stepped foot in Alderaan. She’d never seen a place so green and lively and clean. While there, she had heard stories of the forests to the West of the capital city, and none of them were good.

And, naturally, that was where Sir Kylo was heading.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Please comment and tell me what you think!


End file.
